Method of ornamenting with botanic specimens.



W, E. HBEREN. METHOD OF ORNAMENTING WITH BOTANIG SPEGIMENS. APPLIOATION FILED MAY10,1912.

1,084,858. Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

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WILLIAM E. HEEREN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF ORNAMENTING WITH BOTANIC SPECIMENS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

Application filed. May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,461.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM E. I-IEEREN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Ornament-mg with Botanic Specimens, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in methods for ornamenting with botanic specimens.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a method by which leaves, flowers, etc, may be permanently mounted on a suitable base in their natural state, the botanic specimens so mounted retaining their natural appearance and forming a part or the entire ornamentation of the article.

To this and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, my invention consists in the improved methods hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,-Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a press which may be employed in practising the method herein disclosed. Fig. 2 is a sectional view indicating one way in which the sap or moisture may be taken out of freshly plucked specimens. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the relative arrangement of parts preparatory to applying the mounting step in accordance with one method of my invention. Fig. 4; is a similar view showing the arrangement of the parts preliminary to the final step in providing the film. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing an article ornamented in accord-- ance with my invention. Fig. 6 is a reverse view of a strip of flexible material, such as ribbon, showing the manner in which the film composition may be applied.

So far as I am aware, ornamentation with botanic specimens has never been of a character which will preserve the specimen in its natural form, viz, having its general appearance and color in its natural state. Attempts have been made to do this, but in each instance, the mounting is but temporary so far as the preservation of the appearance and color is concerned, the speci men gradually losing its color and changing its appearance in the usual manner of specimens when detached from their natural conditions. After a number of years of experiments, I have discovered that it is possible to permanently mount such specimens in a manner to cause them to retain their general appearance and color for a great length of time (the length being indeterminate in the specimens which I have mounted), the mountings being upon different types of faces, such for instance as celluloid, cardboard, ribbon, muslin, etc. My preferred method for providing this mounting (preseutly described more in detail) is to apply heat to the specimen and the base while under a light pressure, then apply a heavy pressure while in the presence of the heat and then after a short interval cooling the mounted article while under the heavy or high pressure. I have not been able, at the time of the filing of this application, to ascertain the exact reasons for the efi'ect produced on the specimen; but, so far as I have been able to ascertain, the final elimination of all moisture, sap, parasitic growths, etc, b the heat, and practically simultaneously fixing the specimens within the base by reason of the high pressure employed prevents the normal action of decay by eliminating those features which would superinduce decay and provide a support which fixes the relative positions of the parts of the specimens. I would state that I have conducted experiments without the presence of heat, and have found that the specimens would not generally adhere to the base, although subjected to a similar pressure as is employed in the method herein disclosed.

One form of apparatus which I have employed in connection with my experiments is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, the apparatus being a die-press having upper and lower members indicated at 10 and 11 respectively, the lower member being stationary and the upper member being movable toward and from the lower member by suitable toggle mechanism 12 operated by a lever 13. The lower die member 11 is preferably formed hollow and provided with inlets 14: and 15, the former being for steam, while the latter is employed for the introduction of cold water, it being understood that each of these supplies are under control, the steam being adapted to heat the die to a temperature ranging from 300 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. By this apparatus, it will be readily understood that the toggle arrangement will permit of a light pressure being placed on the article between the dies or a heavy pressure, and also that either steam or water may be introduced to the body of the die at will. In connection with these dies, I have employed suitable metal plates, indicated at 16, which not only act to provide a pressure on to the materials between them, but at the same time act as conductors of heat from the lower die to the material or to rapidly cool the materials through the admission of cold water to the dies, the effect of which is to quickly reduce the temperature of the material through reduction in the temperature of the dies and plates.

In practising my methods, I have employed specimens which have been plucked for a long period, as well as specimens which have been plucked for a few minutes. In the former class of specimens, the natural loss of moisture, etc., had taken place, but the specimens were practically in their natural state, the color in a few instances having slightly faded; where the specimens are recently plucked, however, I further employ a moisture removing step which consists in placing the specimens between one or more blotters on each side of the specimens, placing the batch so formed between the plates 16, placing them between the dies, and subject the batch to a light pressure, preferably in the presence of heat sup plied by the steam, this operation removing the excess moisture, sap, etc., and where the latter is heavy, preferably providing this operation several times in succession, using fresh blotters at each operation in order that the coloring of the specimen be not changed or stained. At the close of this step, these specimens are substantially in the same condition as the ones which had been plucked for a considerable time; the succeeding treatment is substantially the same for both types. In Fig. 2, the blotters are indicated at 17, and the specimen at 18. In the step of mounting the specimen on the base, I preferably place a sheet of thin paper or parchment, indicated at 19 in Fig. 8, on the lower plate 16, and on this I place the base or the article indicated at 20. This base may be of any suitable material, I having employed celluloid, card-board, ribbons, muslin, etc. The specimen is then laid on the upper surface of the base in the position it is desired that it assume (employing a slight adhesive to the base, if clesired in order to retain the specimen against movement, a course necessary only in rare instances), and a sheet of material 19 placed on the specimen, and then add an upper plate 16. This batch is then placed within the press, a slight pressure placed thereon and steam turned into the lower die 11 for a suitable length of time, whereupon the high pressure is placed on the batch by com pleting the action of the toggle, the steam remaining on for a short time after this pressure is placed thereon; by introducing the steam or heat to the lower dies before the high pressure is placed on the batch, the latter becomes heated in an obvious manner, and while in such heated condition, the high pressure is applied. After the heat has been retained on the batch under high pressure for the proper length of time, the steam is shut off and the cold water turned on, thus cooling the die, this remaining on until the die and the batch has cooled. The batch is then removed and the protecting part (the plate 16 and sheet 19) taken off, whereupon the specimen will be found to have been fixedly mounted on the base with the configuration and appearance practically undisturbed (unless the specimen has exceedingly heavy parts, such as heavy stems) and with a normal color (my experiments have demonstrated that where the colors have faded, they will be practically restored by this mounting operation). Where the base is of celluloid or card-board or similar hard surface material, it will be found that the specimen has become practically embedded within the base, the upper surface of the specimen and the base being on a common plane, the specimen, however, being relatively thin so that the veinous appearance of leaves and of flowers, etc., will be brought out more distinctly. Where these materials are employed, I have found that the heat and the pressure are sufficient to cause the specimens to adhere to the base. In the case of fabrics, such as ribbons or muslin, where the specimen is normally thin, I found that it generally requires no additional means to cause it to adhere; where, however, the specimen is heavier, I preferably place on the reverse side of the fabric, at suitable points, a small amount of the film material presently described, which, under the action of the heat and pressure penetrates the interstices of the fabric and passes into contact with the under surface of the specimen and causes it to more firmly adhere to the base of the fabric.

The article resulting from the above operation will retain the specimen in its normal appearance and color, and in addition places it in such form as to permit its being handled and examined. However, the specimen being exposed to the air and moisture, would possibly change slightly in color (this being an assumption not borne out by my present experiments), and this, in connection with the prevention of damage to the specimen itself through handling, leads to the employment of an additional step to overcome these objections, this step being the placing of a film over the base and specimen in any suitable manner, one method be ing the following: The film in the form in which I prefer to use it, is transparent and includes among its ingredients celluloid.

The composition used is prepared by dissolving and thinning a film by the use of alcohol or similar agent. After the base and the specimen have been mounted in the manner heretofore pointed out, I preferably coat the exposed surface with this thin cont position, allowing it to dry, which it readily does by the evaporation of the alcohol or ether which has been used for thinning purposes. When this coat is dry, I preferably form a batch similar to the batch of the previous step, the specimen of course being mounted or embedded within the base and the coat or composition thereon, as shown in Fig. 4, in which the coating is represented at 21, and place the batch within the dies and give it a treatment similar to that used in the previous step, the heat in this case, tending to soften the coat and the pressure acting to expel the air and cause the coat to firmly adhere to the face of the base and specimen, the result being that the specimen is finally located in physical contact at substantially all points with either the base or the film and adhereslto these parts in such manner as to absolutely prevent any relative movements; and since the film is transparent, it will be readily understood that the specimen can be readily and visually inspected and handled without in any wise affecting it; experiments have demonstrated that an article ornamented in this manner and provided with the film can be washed or cleansed without impairment. Obviously, the base may be ornamented in other ways, as for instance the use of (lies which would change the configuration of the article as by placing a border there-about or an imitation frame, this being well known in the art. Or, if desired, the face of the base can be roughened to imitate texture, this being preferably provided during the second step, in which a suitable fabric is employed in contact with the base, the heat and pressure causing the face of the base to receive the impressions made by the fabric.

lVhile I have above pointed out my preferred method of operation, I would say that I have, in addition, provided a coating by the use of a film not in solution form, and have applied it by the additional step heretofore referred to, as well as simultaneously with the first step, viz., by placing it in position at the time when the specimen is placed in position on the base. I have, however, obtained the best results by the method above described and by the use of the solution, and sometimes the addition of the film upon the solution, this latter type tending to eliminate any tendency to form bubbles be neath the film.

While I have herein shown and described methods by means of which the ornamentation may be provided, it will be readily understood that the same may be changed or modified in different respects to meet the exi gencies arising by the use of different materials and differences in specimens, and I desire it to be understood that I reserve the right to make any and all such changes or modifications that may be required or de sired, so long as the same falls within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. The method of ornamenting with botanic specimens to visually expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in embedding the specimen in the article being ornamented by the combined action of heat and pressure applied to both article and specimen.

2. The method of ornamenting with betanic specimens to visually expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in embedding the specimen in the article beng ornamented by the combined action of heat and pressure applied to both article and specimen followed by a cooling operation.

3. The method of ornamenting with botanic specimens to visually expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in embedding the specimen in the article being ornamented by the combined action of heat and pressure applied to both article and specimen, and applying a film coating to the article after the specimen is embedded.

l. The method of ornamcnting with botanic specimens to visually expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in embedding the specimen in the article being ornamented by subjecting the article and the specimen to the combined action or increasing pressure in the presence of heat and then cooling the article and specimen while under the maximum pressure.

5. The method of ornamenting with betanic specimens to visually expose the speci men in its natural form which consists in subjecting the article and specimen positioned thereon to the combined action of light pressure and heat, then increasing the pressure in the presence of heat and cooling the article and specimen after the pressure has reached its maximum and while under such maximum pressure.

6. The method of ornamenting with botanic specimens to visually-expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in subjecting the article and specimen positioned thereon to the combined action of light pressure and heat, then increasing the pressure in the presence of heat and cooling the article and specimen after the pressure has reached its maximum and While under such maximum pressure, and adding a film to the article and specimen after the cooling operation.

7. The method of ornamenting With botanic specimens to visually expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in subjecting the article and specimen positioned thereon to the combined action of light pressure and heat, then increasing the pressure in the presence of heat and cooling the article and specimen after the pressure has reached its maximum and While under such maximum pressure, and adding a film to the article and specimen after the cooling operation by the combined action' of heat and pressure.

8. The method of ornamenting With botanic specimens to visually expose the specimen in its natural form which consists in embedding the specimen in a material capable of softening under the action of heat by the combined action of heat and pressure applied to both material and specimen, and then completing the article by covering the exposed face of the specimen.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM E. HEEREN.

Vitnesses MAX I-I. SRoLovrrz, I'IORACE G. SEITZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; Washington, D. C.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,084,858.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,084,858, granted January 20, r 1914, upon the application of William H. Heeren, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in Methods of Ornanienting with Botanic Specimens," an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 111, for the word or read of; and that the said Letters Patent should he read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of February, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Cmmm'ssz'onev' ofPatentu. 

